The blessing

The blessing

Another year is upon us and a truly blessed event is about to take place.
We are blessed that we are alive and can change what ever we didn't like about last years blessings.

Maybe the choices we made were not so good.
We might have thought we were out of balance with the universe.
We felt let down.
Everyone against us.

Well all that is about to change.
The blessed event is here.
New year. New choices.
A new perspective on life and a clear method of how to enact this life saving change.

To change, we need to;
"let go of the old to make room for the new"
So easy, a new thinking.
Nothing changes,
but everything changes.

The new "us" is determined by our thoughts about ourselves.
Not our surrounds, money job, family, only our thinking.

Friends and family will say
"What has changed, you look different."
We know nothing has changed externally, but everything has changed on the inside.
A blessing.

Look forward to this event and plan for an exciting 2014.
It's tomorrow that we can make the plan that will guarantee a wonderful year filled with love and joy.
The very next day is the first day of a new year.

Let's make 2014 the best ever. Let's make it a blessed one.

With Metta
Nathan


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Talking about miracles:

Talking about miracles:

"A mother takes her daughter to the doctor and explains that she suffers cravings and is gaining weight and is sick in the morning."
After a quick examination the doctor tells her that her daughter is about four months pregnant.

"Not possible,
my daughter has never been with a man."
"Isn't that right Debbie?"
"Yes mum, I am a virgin."

The doctor goes over to the window and stares out.
Minutes go by and the woman asks the doctor if he is alright.
"Yes,"he said
"The last time this happened a star appeared and three wise
men came over the hill and I don't want to miss it."

Miracles do happen, but are we ready to allow a miracle to happen to us.

The problem as I see it is that we get involved in everything to stop good stuff happening.

"Why do we have to involve ourselves in everything around us.
Every argument, every decision, every deed and comment that we believe is our business, but actually is not."

We get that small voice that we hear from deep inside us.
"Don't go there, leave it alone, don't make waves."
Do we listen to the voice?
Not really, and if we do listen, that's all we do.
We just listen and rarely take an action that will keep us out of the karma that is caused by our actions.

Ajahn Chah said;

"Do not waste time on other people's issues, being preoccupied with this and that, the whole day, until we end up exhausted and depressed."

What a genius, in one sentence he captured the essence of our suffering.

Ven.Ajahn had an ability to advise us how to lead a life in a most pleasant manner, devoid of life's silliness, that most of us are involved in.

Do we want to create miracles in our life, or do we want to suffer?
Both are easy.
All we have to do is listen to the small voice inside us, or not.
Most times, fear stops us from taking an action, that will bring about a miracle.
Maybe we don't listen and miss out on that opportunity, or miracle.

Let's not fool ourselves into the false belief, that our suffering is caused by everything else, but our own doing.

Our future is determined by our actions today,
so let's start to create miracles in our lives.
Let's start now, to listen to the voice that knows all.
That miracle inside us.
The voice within.

Nathan


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My question;

My question;

I watched Danny Devito being interviewed the other night and he was hilarious as always.

He told the joke about the Buddha who said to the hot dog vender;
"Make me one with everything"

Danny was talking about his religious beliefs and how he didn't follow any organized faith.

He said that he finds something wonderful in everything he does and does not need any external entity in control.

He believes he is one with everything, just like the Buddha and the hot dog man, so, as he loves himself and his life, he also loves everything.

I believe we can spend our lives searching for our lost selves, not being in touch with anything,
or we can spend this moment finding happiness in everything,
just like Danny Devito.

There is a choice, to search, or to find.
The amazing thing is that there is no search necessary, we only have to look in the right place, and we find what we are looking for.

The Buddha was right,
"I am one,
with everything."
No search, no path,
no way, just remove doubt and all becomes clear.

My friend Jonathan told me that if I wanted enlightenment all I had to do was:

"Go straight past the Door of Doubt,
Along the Corridor of Confusion,
Turn down the Hallway of Hope and look for the Revelation Room.
When you enter you may need a while to adjust.
Don't be put off by the darkness.
It's common to feel that you see nothing just before you realize that you see everything."

This, I believe, is when you become "one with everything" and become enlightened.

So to my question;
Are you still at the Door of Doubt?

Do you want enlightenment?

Nathan




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My thoughts.....,

I have been quiet the last few weeks.
I have been contemplating my own mortality, my own impending demise.
This probably won't happen for another thirty years or so, but when we reach a certain age this thinking process can become a magnificent obsession.
As I am in my seventieth year this topic becomes important.

My thought have turned to writing a Death poem.

A Death poem is usually written after one passes away.

The poem is read as part of a eulogy at a funeral or placed in a newspaper telling of the persons life.

Should a famous person die then the poem can become quite flowery and pretentious. The more humble the person, the fewer words are written.
A famous humble comedian wrote
"I told you I was sick"
as his poem on his headstone.

There is a thought that everyone should write a Death poem whilst they are alive.
A poem that somehow sums up a life.
The easing into the next phase of life, somehow making one feel less fearful.

"Yes Death,
Peacefully, Quietly,
I touch you,
Only to find..."

This life leads to this?
Someone once said
"Is this all there is?"
Quite obviously, it is,
"all there is."
Nothing else.

So why the fear?
Why the kicking and screaming that goes on?
Must one face the next part of the journey in mortal trepidation?

What will happen to us?
Will we return as a slug?
Questions of a misspent life, a life unfulfilled, or just questions of a fearful person.

These questions and more, are voiced by those, who have not yet realized the beauty of our existence.

We have this amazing, wonderful life,
so graciously given by loved ones, that all too soon quickly leave.
Most complain that love ones past too early,
or that they had a hard life with no luck.

Death should have chosen someone else.

So the decision to write a poem seems to smooth our agitation regarding death.

Once the mind accepts the fact that we must pass, then the fear of death seems to disappear.
It is the acceptance that death is another part of life that is so difficult.
It's all so final, there is no more?
I am not so sure that there is "no more."
It is the adventure of being not so sure about re-birth and coming back that makes death so special.
My suggestion to all that have any fear of the future is to write down that feeling of fear through a Death poem.
Nathan


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Where is the mind?

Where is the mind?
For many years I have immersed myself in spiritual contemplation and growth.

Over the years I have locked myself in a pagoda in a Vipassana retreat.
Spent weeks in a Wat in far northern Thailand being a novice Therevadan Monk.
Spent time in an Ashram in Malaysia and in China,
in a hospital run by blind masseurs learning how the body and mind works.
Lately I have been studying with a Chassidic Rabbi in a local Synagogue and a Holy Master in a Tien Dao Temple here, in Malaysia and Taiwan.

To what end?

Did I find something that most don't know?

I do know that this morning I was reading a short discussion on what the mind is and how we should see our mind.
The next thing was where the mind is situated.
The article was written by the late Traleg Rinpoche of E-vam Institute in Melbourne.
From a Tantric Vajrayana point of view, Traleg Rinpoche shows me I got the answer wrong.

Needless to say I should start all over again.

Forget what I think I know and begin again with a blank screen.

In understanding mind and what it is,
Tantric texts tell us that:
Mind is empty
Mind is luminous,
Mind is bliss.

Where the mind is,
is another matter.

Firstly I thought of the emptiness of the mind.
Tantric tradition says that mind is not something that can be grasped.
We cannot identify it with brain processes,
or with the heart.
The mind cannot be found either within,
or outside our physical selves.
Mind is not an entity,
or a thing, and that is why
the mind is empty.

Unlike inanimate objects, the mind is able to illuminate both itself and other things.
This luminosity is not discovered outside our ordinary experience.
Our experience of anger, jealousy, pride, are illuminated with a sense of clarity well before we put our interpretations on our emotions.
Luminosity of the mind comes in two situations:
when the mind is calm as during meditation and when the mind is disturbed.
With both these situations we should identify and see with clarity and not make any distinctions.
We then will see the luminosity of the mind.

The minds blissful aspect is reliant on being able to cease in making distinctions between our ordinary mind and the meditative experiences of mental tranquility.
We no longer have to make distinctions within our mind saying
"this aspect is good and that aspect is bad so it must be destroyed."
When that conflict is solved, bliss takes place naturally.
Bliss is then discovered as another aspect of our own mind.

These three aspects of mind are indispensable in the tantric tradition.

Now to the question:
Where is the mind?
Traleg Rinpoche said that some identify the mind with our neural system, whilst others locate it somewhere in the heart.
If we are really sophisticated, we may think it is located in the brain.
Tantric logic tells us to identify the minds location as purely within the three aspects :
Empty, luminous and bliss.

My deepest thanks to the late Traleg Rinpoche for his insight into the tantric path.
He said that the greatest hindrance to our search is the fear of our own incompetence.
He said we need to have ultimate conviction.

Thank you dear man,
I am working on my conviction.
Nathan.


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The duck

I could not resist posting this silly story.

My thanks to the originator;

A woman brought a limp duck to the vet.

She laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's

chest.

The vet shook his head and said,

 "I'm sorry,

 your duck is dead."

The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. Your duck is dead," 

replied the vet..

"How can you be so sure?" she protested. 

"You haven't done any testing on him or anything.

He might just be in a coma or something."

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the

room. He returned a few minutes later with a black

Labrador Retriever. 

As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. 

He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.

The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out

of the room and returned with a cat. 

The cat jumped on the table and sniffed the bird from head to foot. 

The cat shook its head, meowed softly and

strolled out of the room.

The vet looked at the woman and said,

"I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely,

a dead duck."

The vet turned to his computer terminal, 

hit a few keys and produced a bill.

The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill.  "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!"

The vet shrugged,

"I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, 

the bill would have been $20, but with the

Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it's now $150."

Once again my thanks

Nathan 

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This could change you.....

I saw this on Facebook and I couldn't resist passing it on...
This could change your thinking..

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.

One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.

His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end.

They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their
involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation..

Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he
would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could
see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where
his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.
Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats.
Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail,
the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this
picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon,
the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his
mind's eye.
The gentleman by the window portrayed it with beautiful descriptive words.

Days, and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their bath, only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window.
He had died peacefully
in his sleep.

She was saddened as she called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window.
The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after
making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first
look at the real world outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate to describe such wonderful things outside the window.

The nurse said that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said,
'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you and see you smile.'

Epilogue:

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy,
despite our own situation.

If we want to feel rich,
just count all the things we have that money
can't buy.

The origin of this letter is unknown, but please pass it on.
You could change a life too....
Nathan
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How do we feel?

How do we feel?

It is now a week since we have sat down and evaluated our lives according to the six most important areas of our life.

Some of us have discovered areas in our life that need correction.

A few have found nothing lacks in any area of their life, but only a few say this and this, in itself, 

is probably a lack of honesty with oneself.

This being said, just admitting that something is amiss, is all it takes to initiate change.

 Change starts when we decide to let go of those things that we perceive,  hold us back.

We notice that once we do let go, our behavior changes, all seems more relaxed, all seems clearer.

I ask myself the question,

"Why didn't I do this sooner"?

The answer is simple;

"What we don't see,

we don't accept."

We have no perception of our behavior and how it effects others.

Until behavior changes and how to modify our behavior, takes shape in our mind,

only then can we initiate change.

Once the decision is taken to change, 

then change happens.

With Metta

Nathan 

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Week six: Mental.....

Week six: Mental.....

I have started this,
the last area of our life with a plea.

We take a shower everyday to wash our body clean,
then why are we so careless about our mind?

Why should we not cleanse the defilements from our mind,
by meditation every day.

Lets give our mind the shower of meditation everyday, for our mind is the ultimate source of all our happiness.

I ask that once in awhile please sit,
just sit
and cleanse the mind.

Please don't forget
"As a broom sweeps the streets clean,
the breath sweeps the mind clean."

Sogyal Rinpoche wrote from his Tibetan book of living and dying;

"Sometimes when I meditate, I don't use any particular method.
I just bring my mind home and relax.
There is no question if this is "correct",
there is no effort,
only a rich understanding.
When I am in the nature of mind, the ordinary mind is not there.
I simply am."

It really is so simple.

We have one life,
one period of time that is so fragile,
so impermanent.
It is guaranteed to end.
The only thing in our life that is certain, is our end.

Why then do we hasten this certainty by choosing stupidity.

The stupidity of our desire to constantly keep a state of lack, in one or more areas of our most precious gift.

The gift of being.

There are,
as we have seen,
six main areas in our life that incur consequence.

This insuring result can bring about Karma with devastating calamity.

The prison that most of us live in is self made.
The bars and locks self imposed.

To break free is easy.

Sit
Relax
Let go
Break free

Thank you all for allowing me to come into your life and share.

Nathan




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Week five: Emotional.....

Week five: Emotional.....

Oh I don't want to talk about this
I am so sick of your inane comments
You make me sick
It's all your fault
The government is against me
I hate you

Recognize any of the above?
Do you want to add at least another seventy,
or so, emotional outbursts, some positive, most negative.
Here is a small list?

Affection Anger Angst Anguish Annoyance Anxiety Apathy Arousal Awe Boredom
Confidence Contempt Contentment Courage Curiosity Depression Desire
Despair Disappointment Disgust Distrust Dread Ecstasy Embarrassment Envy
Euphoria Excitement Fear Frustration Gratitude Grief Guilt Happiness
Hatred Hope Horror Hostility Hurt Hysteria Indifference Interest Jealousy
Joy Loathing Loneliness Love Lust Outrage Panic Passion Pity Pleasure
Pride Rage Regret Relief Remorse Sadness Satisfaction
Self-confidence
Shame Shock Shyness Sorrow Suffering Surprise Terror Trust Wonder Worry
Zeal Zest

The range is enormous and as varied as our behavior allows.

Emotion is what motivates our behavior in a negative, or positive manner, depending on how we feel at the time.
So the list above can be both positive, or negative.

In most cases of behavioral lack, we hide behind the use of emotional blackmail that we call communication.

It's the juggling between our own personality,
character and our perception of how we believe others see us,
that determines which emotion we use and whether it will have a positive,
or negative outcome.

The consequence of excessive emotional outbursts can cause damage to qi (life energy) which in turn damages vital organs for both ourselves and those we communicate with.

This is a list that opened my eyes to cause and effect of some diseases;

Jealousy:
weakens immune system.

Vengefulness:
causes insomnia and throat disease.

Inability to find a solution:
causes lung disease.

Unwavering in a belief:
causes diabetes and migraines.

Lying:
causes alcoholism.

Aggressiveness:
causes gastric ulcer, reflux and warts.

Cruelty:
can cause epilepsy, asthma and anemia.

Seeking conflicts:
thyroid enlargement.

Apathy:
can cause diabetes.

Being rude or insulting:
causes heart disease.

Anxiety:
digestive system, heart and skin disorders.

Greed:
causes obesity and heart disease.

Should we cure our character of the above and the relevant diseases go away.

My thanks to Indian Ayurvedic causes and cures for this list.

When we lack in this most important area,
we effect directly all those we contact every day,
in every way,
family and friends,
in fact all we contact.

Please take care with everything
we say,
think,
and do.
The more mindful we are, the more able to let go of useless,
emotional,
rubbish.

Nathan


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Week four: Spiritual.....

Week four: Spiritual.....

Do we believe we do the right thing, because its the right thing to do?
Or, do we think we do things, because it is what is expected of us,
with no thoughts of consequence?

Our spiritual beliefs differ from our religious faith.
Spirituality is our deepest commitment to the way we behave and how that behavior effects those around us, now and into the future.

Our spirituality denotes realms of our inner life.
The purity of our motives, our affections,
our intention,
and the analysis of our feelings.
That is how we feel,
what we think,
what we say,
and what we do.

The Most Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh said;
"We must not be attached to a view,
ours or others,
a doctrine,
even a Buddhist one
and call it the truth.
The Buddha said that when we adopt something as the absolute truth and we attach to it, then we no longer have the chance to reach the truth.
Even when truth knocks at our door, we won't recognize it.
So we must not be attached to dogma,
or to what we think,
we believe, or perceive"

Only the truth can set us free from the prison that we set for ourselves and spend most of our lives trying to escape.

Lets escape now
and be free.
It only takes
a spiritual thought.

Nathan



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We are now half way through my version of the six most important areas of our lives.

We are now half way through my version of the six most important areas of our lives.

Should we be bothered to have a hard look at these areas and see we lack,
then we are halfway to discovering a new us.

It is only the recognition that something could be better that determines our attitude to ourselves and the consequences that effect others..

Our behavior is the only standard by which others judge us.

When our behavior does not fit with others values then we are looked at as different, or looked at in a poor light.

In each of the first three areas, it is our behavior and the way perform financially, look physically and react with our home and family,
that determines all our interactions.
Should we not be fulfilled or satisfied, then an effort to let go may be in order.

Behavior does not involve two,
it normally starts with one.
Ourself.
The most important person in our world.

Nathan


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Week three: Home and family.....

Week three: Home and family.....

Here's the thing,
do we act differently at home, than at work,
or with our friends?
Are we all smiles and a show of happiness outside the home and once at the front door,
our demeanor changes.
Its an effort to be nice for one reason or another.
The excuses don't really matter, its all in our heads and totally within our control.

Does our family have expectations about us that we are not fulfilling?

What is it about our home life that we feel we lack?
Do we lack love, respect,
admiration, or is it just boredom and a feeling of being locked in that stops us from performing as a role model should.

All the above and more are only in our head.
These feelings of loss will only go away when we decide to let go of them.

Again,
how to let go is simple.
When we recognize and understand our behavior,
realize the consequences of our behavior,
we can then embrace the behavior,
forgive ourselves,
and let go.

This process does not take two to be involved,
it takes one and one only.
Ourself......
The most important person in our life.

Nathan


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Week two of six: Financial......

Week two of six: Financial......

What an area to discuss as we all feel we lack in this most important part of our lives.

The funny part of this,
is should we think we lack, then it must be true, and we act accordingly.
We want, we need,
we must have,
it never stops.
The more we have,
the more we want.

Apparently, desire leads to suffering and suffering is the biggest cause of high blood pressure, which in turn can cause disease and death.

The Buddha said:
"When we give up desire,
we get what we desire."
That's ok for the Buddha,
he lived the life of an ascetic, never staying in the same place for too long, not accumulating, not desiring to be better, or to succeed in any way.
The Buddha did not suffer with high blood pressure.

The Buddha did say that desire is the root cause of all suffering.

Where does this place us in this success orientated
world.
Do we strive to succeed and prove how clever we are by accumulation,
or do we live the life of a devout monk?
Some of us choose the latter, but only the fewest.
For the rest, the daily struggles go on, striving to pay bills and lead a "normal" life.
Some even succeed beyond all expectation.
For the rest, financial hardship and struggle is a daily fact.

The question is how does one cope with this area of our life so that it does not cause us to suffer?

The answer is as the Buddha suggested;
by giving up the craving,
by giving up desire.
When we let go of these defilements,
the Universe provides.
We get what we want.
We attract all that we need.

We now have a week to let go of something that is holding us back financially.
Please don't say a lack of money is holding us back, cause that's not funny.

I am asking to let go of the craving, the desire,
the cause of suffering.

Please join me.

Nathan


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Today,

Today,
a great day to let go!

Today, I have decided to do something about this.

So now I am sitting in my most comfortable lounge chair.
I have made notes in preparation for my letting go session.
There are six headings on the paper in front of me regarding the major areas of my life.

I have worked out over all these years of
"soul searching"
that should I lack in any one or more of these areas, then I must want to lack in these areas.

I believe that I am in charge of my life,
so I must be in charge of these six areas of my life.

So what are these areas?

Over the next five weeks I will look at each area in greater detail.
The first area to look at is

Physical ;

My question to myself is am I happy, satisfied and fulfilled with myself in this area, or am I lacking physically?

Could I be doing something to extend my life by dropping a habit I don't really need?

When I feel ok with myself, the amazing thing is that the whole world feels great.
Nothing bothers me.
I sleep well and when I wake up in the morning,
I feel as though my whole life is starting again.

There is a yesterday and a tomorrow, but I am not living in them.
I am living physically right here and now.

Of course, this is well and good, but as I try to get up from my comfortable chair, I notice that I am a little overweight.

Alright a lot overweight.

My doctor has put me on the PDTF diet.
She said it should only take a few months and I will be fine.
I asked her what is PDTF
She said;
"Put Down The Fork"

The actual doing is made easier when we know we lack in this area and it is holding us back.

Like a magician who takes a rabbit from his hat, we must become a magician who takes a habit out of rat.
Comparing myself to a rat is not such a bad example as I scurry off to write my next blog and the next area of my life.

As for my own physical wellbeing, I love who I am
and have decided to drop the need to substitute food for emotional happiness and boredom.

I now have a week to initiate change in this,
the first area of my life.

Care to join me?

Nathan




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Time for a change!

Time for a change!

I don't mean the robes.

Today is a great day for letting go of something I think I don't need in my life.

I could wait for tomorrow or even next week,
but I have been putting this off for years,
so today is a good day.

The problem now is what to let go.
I suppose a few old clothes would be a start.
You know the jackets with the large lapels that I was waiting to come back into fashion.
Maybe the odd socks that the washing machine ate.

Maybe I should let go of some old habits!

You know the ones that have held me back from being a complete person.

I have felt for some time that maybe it's me that's at fault, not the dog, or the neighbor, or the wife, or the government, or the aliens that abduct only stupid people.

There was a feeling that all was not quite right with my world.
Now that I have owned up and told myself I need to change,
I really feel better.
Now all I have to do is
"do it"

Of course
"to change "
is
"to change"

We change our underwear, we change our mind, we can change partners and homes,
but when it comes to changing our attitude,
or our perception,
or the way we behave, then this is a different matter.

We find the excuse;
I am so busy,
I haven't the time now,
Living like this is ok,
If you don't like the way I behave , you can all leave
Etc.....

I am now going to sit quietly and have a cup of tea.

Today is a great day to let go of something I don't need in my life.

Now you try....

Nathan


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My thanks to Jonathan

My thanks go to the astrologer Jonathan Cainer for his insight this morning

Jonathan informs that philosophers in the mind body and spirit movement tell us that

"We all create our own reality"

Is this true?

Jonathan says that the truth is that most of us create our own unreality.

I think this is correct.

There are close to seven billions on this Earth and so there could be close to seven billion fantasies being lived out right now.

So which one are we living?

Jonathan asks

"Is it one that has the potential to bring joy, 

or a lot of unnecessary anxiety."

He says to make our dreams worthy of this opportunity we call 

"a life"

He says

 "dream up something good."

Thanks Jonathan.

On a personal note 

I believe what the Buddha taught about suffering.

The more unrealistic dreams and fantasies we create and desire, 

the more we suffer.

We must start to recognize that all of our suffering is caused by our own desire.

All else is an excuse.

All else is a lie.

Why create something that causes pain, 

we are a thought away from love and joy.

Nathan 

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Bassui wrote the following letter to one of his disciples who was about to die:

Roshi Bassui wrote the following letter to one of his disciples who was about to die:

"The essence of your mind is not born,
so it will never die.
It is not an existence, which is perishable.
It is not an emptiness, which is a mere void.
It has neither colour nor form.
It enjoys no pleasures and suffers no pains.
I know you are very ill.
Like a good Zen student, you are facing that sickness squarely.
You may not know exactly who is suffering,
but question yourself:
What is the essence of this mind?
Think only of this.
You will need no more. Covet nothing.
Your end which is endless is as a snowflake dissolving in pure air."

In 1387 (at the age of 61), as Bassui was sitting in zazen meditation among his followers, he turned to them and shouted twice:

"Look straight ahead. What's there?
If you see it as it is
You will never err."

He then died.


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Present moment....

Present moment....

I was listening to the radio this morning and a brilliant doctor was discussing his lecture on the following

Four most important things to say in life

I forgive you
Please forgive me
Thank you
I love you

I cannot go through my life, which is so finite, holding on to things that were said or done causing emotions to be carried to my own or to your detriment

To forgive,

is not to forget,
but to enable me to get on with my life and to remind me that someone else's past actions do not reflect on the future and that I will not allow those actions to be repeated

Please forgive me

To ask for forgiveness is asking to forgive an action that we believe should never have happened and was usually due to outside influence
This is done to satisfy the ego

To be able to say sorry and apologize with humility is another matter

Apologizing doesn't always mean that we are wrong and that they are right, it is just we value that relationship more than we value our own ego

Our present moment is not to be affected by things that happened yesterday,
to be stewed over and over,
until all relationships are soured by past actions

Thank you

To be able to say thank you for your help,
the way keep the family together,
the way you behave when I am wrong

My thanks to myself and the Universe for a well life and for a well death

(He lived well and he died well)

My life and death shall not be affected by my past,
but be a present moment of life and all it has to offer.

I shall not let my tomorrow's be dictated to by events that have no bearing on my present moment and that is why I ask for forgiveness for past indiscretions

I love you

To utter these three sacred words is akin to spiritual renewal

To love all around us shows that we have let go of all the rubbish that stops us from being fulfilled as a person

This enabling is paramount for living a happy satisfied life

So, to all that think they have been wronged in any way,
please use these four most important things

I forgive you
Please forgive me
Thank you
I love you

With Metta
Nathan


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I want to give thanks.

I want to give thanks.

Heartfelt thanks to the people who work tirelessly in the service of others.

I have been in hospital twice in the last few weeks.

The level of care at both Epworth and Austin
were beyond my expectation.

The healing process was sped up considerably by the good grace and care
of most professional carers.

The dedication of a nurse who at three am when seeing me turn my light asked me if I would like a cup of tea.
The dedication of the tea man who on collecting my used cup asked me if I would like another and an extra biscuit.

Both of these extraordinary workers went out of their way to make me comfortable.

The amazing thing is that there was no ulterior motive, no extra benefit,
just care.

The admitting staff, the triage, the assisting doctors, anesthetic doctors and staff, senior and assistant surgeons, and nurses,
all created a seamless level of care and trust that made me feel most comfortable.

Having any health problem is not the best
and particularly when it ends in surgery.
I must say that there is no fear, no apprehension, when one is entrusted in such good care.

Thank you all.

Nathan Black


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I want to share a dharma about how we can help others

I want to share a dharma about how we can help others

Most people want things for themselves
it's human nature to desire things

The Buddha said the cause of suffering is desire
Even our prayers are full of me me me and the things we desire
Heath wealth and happiness

A great man once said
If you want to be happy for an hour
Have a massage
If you want to be happy for a day
Go for a picnic
If you want to be happy for a week
Go to Bali
If you want to be happy for a month
Get married
If you want to be happy for a year
Win the lottery
But if you want to be happy for a lifetime
Help others

It is so much better to give than to receive

The Reverend Joel Osteen tells the following

A child from a poor family comes into Jacks grocer shop and looks at the fruit and veggies
Jack asks him what he wants but the child tells him he is only looking

Jack notices that the boy is holding some marbles
and tells the boy he will swap a bag of fruit for the marbles
The marbles are the boys pride and joy but his family was hungry so he offered them to Jack for the large bag of fruit

Jack told the boy that he only wanted red marbles and didn't like the blue ones the boy had
He told the boy to come back next week and bring red ones

The following week Jack handed the boy a large bag of vegetables and told the boy he wanted blue marbles not the red ones the boy had

This went on for months with Jack never accepting the boys marbles

Some fifteen years later Jack passed away and at his funeral there were three well dressed young men standing by the open casket
Each one in turn held Jacks hand

After the funeral the minister asked Jacks wife about the three red marbles he found in Jacks hand
She told him that jack had fed three families with fruit and vegetables for years in return for red marbles that he never took

It is so much better to give than to receive

A young man about fifteen years old was going door to door selling plastic containers that he had recycled
He explained that he did this after school to feed himself as he had no family

Some people felt sorry for him and gave him a dollar most just slammed the door in his face

At one house a girl answered the door and he stood speechless
She was so beautiful
The girl saw he was so thin and obviously starving and she offered him a glass of milk
He drank it down in one go so cold so delicious

It actually saved his life

Some twenty five years later the same girl had a life threatening growth in her brain
Unfortunately she could not afford the operation and there was only one doctor who specialized in the delicate area of her disease

The doctor stopped in to see her and the moment he saw her he said he would operate

The operation was successful and she was worried about the cost and how she could pay

On the bottom of the bill she received was a hand written note from the doctor

"paid in full with a glass of milk"

It is so much better to give than to receive

I heard about a poor family with five children
It was a struggle just for the food each week

The eldest boy wanted to go to Lunar Park for his birthday and the father had saved a dollar each week for a year just for this treat

They were so excited as they stood in line to get in
When it was the fathers time to pay he got such a shock at the price just to get in and he didn't have enough for the entrance fee

The man behind him tapped him on the shoulder and said in a quiet voice
"excuse me but $40 just dropped out of your pocket"

The father looked at him with tears in his eyes and said
"thank you so much
you are a saint
God will shine on you"

It is so much better to give than to receive

Nathan




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I love Osho

I love Osho and my friend John sent me a wonderful
set of quotes and photos of this great man.

Thanks John

Osho is one of my heroes
He is so out spoken about everything, love, laughter and all the things a spiritual person wants to hear.
All things that are missing from our lives, Osho reminds us how to cure our ills by letting go with laughter and love.

In a book about Zen Osho talks about how archery and swordplay can be as meditative as sitting.

A great king who became a master archer searched his kingdom for a better archery teacher as sometimes he missed the target.
As he entered a village he saw many trees with circles and arrows in the exact middle of the circles.
He said "only the best archer can be this accurate, so perfect,
I must meet this man."
So he called the people and asked where is this great archer.
They all laughed.
"You must forget this man, he is the village idiot." They told the king.
The king told them that his archery was perfect and that he must see him.
The villages said;
"You don't understand his archery.
First he shoots the arrow and then he draws a circle around it.
Of course it is perfect.
Always perfect.
We told him this is not right, but he said his way is simple,you never miss.

Thank you John
Thank you Osho
Nathan


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To my dear friend Carlo;

To my dear friend Carlo;

You asked me to report on my recent trip to Vietnam, with a thought of maybe going there next year.

From the moment I got there, I found a cacophony in total madness of movement and sound, as if this is the last moment of life.

It is, as if there is so much to do and so little time to do whatever has to be done.

The Buddha said to treat every moment as our last, but this is extreme.

All in such a hurry to get somewhere.
It seems that everyone in the city,
the entire population,
is on the move at once,
all a blur of people,
color and noise.
In the city of Ho chi Min there are eight million people and there are some six million motor scooters and its a fight just to get across the street.
I had to half close my eyes and just walk.
The scooters go around,
sometimes.

Vietnam has other benefits apart from the crush.

There are the smiles from the loverly people,
the food, the shopping, bargaining.
The friendliest will try to get an extra cent or two from you.
It's endemic, it's the culture and we would not have it any other way.

The Buddha advised not to be attached to anything.
The Buddha hadn't seen Ratchavadee resort.
Still we shouldn't be attached.
So my advice is to go to Thailand in March not February next year and we will not be attached to the month.

Vietnam is great for a visit but for me, not for a stay.

Love you and look forward to seeing both in Thailand next year.

Nathan



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Kuan Yin miracle

Ratchavadee Resort 2013

 

I go on holiday to rest and write.

Holidays are one thing and sitting here in paradise waiting for inspiration is another.

The two just don't seem to mix as there are too many distractions.

The beach, the pool, 

the food, from one to the other.

Then people want to talk and ask questions

Where are you from?

What are you writing?

Why are you so quiet?

Go away and leave me alone!

I was going to write something profound on this trip and I started the first few hundred words.

I read and reread, but my words seemed empty.

Too many distractions.

On my last day on the beach I had given up and was looking at some 

photos of Kuan Yin and attached to one picture was the following story;

You may have heard it before but it needs to be read again as sometimes to be reassured that miracles can happen.

My thanks goes to the beautiful Kuan Yin Facebook page:

"Tess was only eight years old but she understood her mom and dad were talking about her brother's illness.

She knew he was very sick and there was no money to pay for an expensive operation.

They were moving to a small apartment as dad couldn't afford the house  doctors or hospital bills anymore.

Tess heard them say that he wouldn't live without the surgery and no one would loan dad the money and he would die if he didn't have get a miracle. 

Mom and dad were both crying.

Tess went to her bedroom and got the special glass jam jar from its hiding place in her cupboard.

She tipped the contents on to the bed and very carefully counted the contents.

She counted them three times as she had to be right and make no mistakes.

Tess put the coins back in the jar and tightened up the lid and placed the jar carefully in her school bag and slipped out the back door.

She walked the few blocks to the corner pharmacy.

Tess waited in line for the man to serve her.

When her turn came the man was really rude

"What do you want" he said sharply

She told him about her brother Andrew and how he had something bad growing in his head and how they had no money for the operation and only a miracle could save him

She asked the man how much does a miracle cost

and she has money and if it is not enough she can get more.

"We don't sell miracles here and I am so sorry I can't help you."

Tess was about to leave with tears welling up in her eyes when a well dressed man bent down and said,

"What sort of operation does your brother need?"

Tess said that she did not know but she had $1:11 and if that was not enough she could get more.

The man was Dr Carlton Armstrong a specialist in neuro-surgery and the pharmacists brother.

He asked Tess to take him to meet her mom and dad and said that $1:11 was the exact amount needed for a miracle.

The operation was a total success 

Her mom and dad asked the surgeon how much was the cost and could they pay it in small installments?

He told them to ask Tess and that he had charged her for the operation.

When they asked Tess how she had paid she just smiled

Tess knew miracles cost $1:11

Tess is saving up just in case she is needed again to pay for a miracle"

Thank you to Kuan Yin for this and many other miracles

Metta

Nathan 

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